Alaska Airlines Rebrands as Atmos - And United Is Selling 100k Miles for Half Price

A reader emailed me last week asking which airline credit card she should get now that Alaska and Hawaiian have merged their programs. My answer has completely changed in the past 24 hours.

The Atmos Rewards relaunch just dropped two new Bank of America credit cards - and the premium one in particular is turning heads across the community. Let's get into it.

Which program offers a 50% bonus on purchased JAL Mileage Bank miles right now?

• 🇺🇸 Chase Ultimate Rewards

• 🏦 Rove Miles

• 💳 Citi ThankYou Rewards

• 💰 Amex Membership Rewards

The answer is near the bottom of today's newsletter... keep scrolling. 👇

When Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines merged their loyalty programs into Atmos Rewards, most people expected a middling rebrand. What actually arrived is a pair of Bank of America credit cards that are drawing genuine excitement from the miles community - and for good reason.

The premium Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite card is the headline act. Ben from One Mile at a Time called it one of the best-value premium airline cards he's seen, which is a strong claim in a market full of $695 annual fee behemoths. The card sits in rare company: a premium airline card that actually delivers on its price tag.

If the Summit feels like overkill, the mid-range Atmos Rewards Ascent Visa Signature is the practical pick for anyone who flies Alaska or Hawaiian with any regularity. It carries a lower annual fee and a strong welcome bonus - the kind of card that earns a permanent spot in the wallet rather than a drawer.

Atmos Rewards is the unified loyalty program covering both Alaska and Hawaiian routes, which means your points now go a lot further geographically than they did before the merger. If you haven't looked at what the combined network covers, now is a good time.

If you fly the West Coast, Hawaii, or any Alaska partner routes, the Atmos Summit card deserves a serious look. The Ascent is the smart pick for more casual flyers. Both cards are brand new, so welcome bonus eligibility isn't likely to be an issue for most readers.

Citi ThankYou has quietly rolled out a 10% transfer bonus to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles. It's not the kind of bonus that makes you drop everything, but it's worth flagging because this pairing almost never has a promotion - and Cathay Pacific Asia Miles is genuinely one of the better programs for booking Cathay Pacific metal in business class.

If you've been sitting on ThankYou points and have a Cathay redemption in mind, this makes the transfer marginally better math. A 10% bonus means every 10,000 points you transfer becomes 11,000 Asia Miles - small but free.

Worth noting: we covered the Citi Strata Elite card recently, which now transfers to American Airlines AAdvantage and has a current offer of 75,000 points plus credits worth up to $1,200 in year one. If you're building a ThankYou balance, that card is the fastest on-ramp right now.

Use the Cathay bonus if you have a specific redemption in mind. Don't transfer speculatively just for the 10% - Cathay Asia Miles don't expire as long as you have activity, but always have a booking target before you move points.

Our Cathay Pacific Asia Miles Calculator can help you work out whether your redemption makes sense before you commit.

United MileagePlus is running a 100% bonus on purchased miles right now - meaning every mile you buy comes with a free one alongside it. The sale ends this Saturday, October 31, so this is a five-day window.

Bought miles are never a great deal at face value, but a 100% bonus changes the math significantly. If you have a specific United or partner award in mind and you're short on miles, this is one of the better times to top up. Star Alliance partner redemptions - particularly on ANA, Singapore Airlines, and Lufthansa through United - are where MileagePlus miles tend to shine brightest.

Award Travel Finder has been tracking some solid Star Alliance business class availability this week if you're looking for inspiration on where those topped-up miles could take you.

Only buy if you have a redemption target. The United miles buy offer ends Saturday - check current pricing and all live buy-points promotions at our buy-points promotions tracker before you pull the trigger.

Southwest Airlines confirmed it plans to open 11 airport lounges starting in late 2027. For an airline that has historically operated with zero frills and maximum efficiency, this is a genuine shift in direction.

Details are still sparse on what exactly these lounges will offer and which airports will get them first. What we do know is that Southwest is positioning this as part of a broader premium pivot - one that also includes assigned seating, something that would have been unthinkable even three years ago.

This is a 2027 story, not a 2026 action item. But it's worth watching if you're a Southwest loyalist deciding whether to keep building Rapid Rewards points. An airline adding lounges and assigned seating is an airline trying to compete differently - and that usually changes the redemption calculus over time.

Several transfer bonuses close this Saturday and are worth acting on if you have a relevant redemption in mind. The standout is Rove Miles to JAL Mileage Bank at a 50% bonus - that's the highest bonus on the board right now and a program that's excellent for booking American Airlines flights at partner rates.

Also ending Saturday: Rove to Flying Blue at 40%, Citi ThankYou to Qatar Privilege Club Avios at 35%, Rove to Qatar at 35%, Capital One to British Airways Avios at 20%, and Amex to Flying Blue at 25%. If you've been meaning to move points to Flying Blue for a Paris or Amsterdam redemption, the Rove bonus beats Amex right now.

You can see every live transfer bonus in one place at our transfer bonuses tracker - including a few bonuses that run slightly longer if Saturday's deadline doesn't work for you.

The answer is Rove Miles - they're currently running a 50% bonus on transfers to JAL Mileage Bank, ending this Saturday October 31. Rove also has a 40% bonus to Flying Blue and 35% to Qatar Privilege Club Avios in the same window. Three useful bonuses, one deadline.

With Alaska and Hawaiian now merged into Atmos Rewards, are you planning to shift more of your flying to the combined network - or does it not change much for your routes? Hit reply and let me know - I read every response and I'm genuinely curious how many of you are already Atmos flyers.

The Atmos Rewards launch caught me off guard with how good the cards look. When airline loyalty programs rebrand they usually water things down - this one seems to have gone the other direction. Worth keeping an eye on.

- Jack

These are the top credit card welcome bonuses we're tracking. Offers change frequently - see all cards.

1. Business Platinum Card: Welcome offer varies, you may be eligible for an offer. ($8.95/yr)

2. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Earn 200,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 in purchases on t... ($5.5/yr)

3. Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points and a Free Night Reward after you spend ... ($1.95/yr)

The Award Travel Finder team has been tracking these redemptions - here's what stands out:

Hotels:

• The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua - Kapalua, US | 1.7cpp value | 108,000 pts/night

• The Westin Bora Bora Resort & Spa - Bora Bora, PF | 7.4cpp value | 76,000 pts/night

• Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique - Guanacaste, CR | 2.6cpp value | 120,000 pts/night

• Milaidhoo Maldives, an SLH Hotel - Baa Atoll, MV | 1.4cpp value | 150,000 pts/night

• Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa - Grand Cayman, KY | 4.6cpp value | 70,000 pts/night

Status Matches & Challenges:

• Kenya Airways Asante Rewards Status Match - Kenya Airways | SkyTeam

• Malaysia Airlines Enrich Status Match - Malaysia Airlines | oneworld

• Philippine Airlines Mabuhay Miles Status Match - Philippine Airlines

Live Transfer Bonuses:

• Amex Membership Rewards → AeroMexico ClubPremier: +20% bonus - ends this Friday (October 30, in 4 days)

• Amex Membership Rewards → Air France KLM Flying Blue: +25% bonus - ends this Saturday (October 31, in 5 days)

• Capital One Miles → British Airways Avios: +20% bonus - ends this Saturday (October 31, in 5 days)

• Citi ThankYou Rewards → Qatar Privilege Club Avios: +35% bonus - ends this Saturday (October 31, in 5 days)

• Rove Miles → Air France KLM Flying Blue: +40% bonus - ends this Saturday (October 31, in 5 days)

• Rove Miles → JAL (Japan Airlines) Mileage Bank: +50% bonus - ends this Saturday (October 31, in 5 days)

Buy Points & Miles Deals:

• Air Canada (Aeroplan): 80% bonus at - ends this Thursday (October 29, in 3 days)

• American Airlines (AAdvantage): 40% discount at - ends November 23 (in 28 days)

• Delta Air Lines (SkyMiles): 50% bonus at - ends this Saturday (October 31, in 5 days)

• Etihad Airways (Etihad Guest): 25% bonus at - ends November 23 (in 28 days)

• Garuda (GarudaMiles): 50% discount at - ends this Saturday (October 31, in 5 days)

• JetBlue Airways (TrueBlue): 120% bonus at - ends Thursday November 5 (in 10 days)

Full live tracker → milesandpointsdaily.com/buy-points-promotions

Browse every award deal we track at AwardTravelFinder.com →

Friday Flight Deals finds the best flight deals when paying cash beats using points.

Browse all deals at FridayFlightDeals.com →